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Disrespectful Teens
"Young people have virtually no reverence for anything or anyone..."
By Emma Alexander
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Are today's teens more disrespectful than generations past? Youth Radio's Emma Alexander thinks so, and explains why youth today need a few lessons in good manners. (February 17 on WABE)
It seems like basic respect is a lesson my generation has missed. Young people have virtually no reverence for anything or anyone. Every day, I see students disrespecting teachers and kids displaying contempt for their parents in every way imaginable. They don't just talk back, they yell back, scream profanities, tell teachers and parents to shut up, and even throw things at them.
Some teens are too cool; some just don't care; some are get-in-your-face angry; some are elitist and condescending. Though the teen years are known for being a rebellious period, that does not give us an excuse.
Most of my friends are good people, but they don't have a high level of respect for others, especially those in positions of authority. Is it, perhaps, because they've never been taught?
Much of the way a person treats others is learned. I’ve certainly had my fair share of well-deserved groundings. Though my mother tolerates no less than constant courtesy, today's parents often fail to enforce concepts like respect for elders, authority figures, and peers. While I'm not saying all the blame goes to parents, or that we should return to the fifties, it's time parents begin teaching their children to regard others civilly, for the good of society.
- Youth Radio Atlanta is produced in cooperation with WABE and funded in part by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
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